Spark-arrester



(No Model.)

v T. LEEL SPARK ARRESTER.

. PatentedFebJ-ZY, 84.

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HLImIIHLLJ HI NATIONAL umowumma COMPANY are" n.

which- THOMAS LEE, OF HOME CITY, OHIO.

SPARK-ARRESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,345, dated February 2'7, 1894.

Application filed $eptemher 22, 1893. serialNo. 486.195. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS LEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Home City, Hamilton county, State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Spark-Arrester and Steam-Condenser; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, attention being called to the accompanying drawings, with the reference-numerals marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

The subject of this invention is aspark-arrester and steam-condenser. It may be used to serve in its double capacity at one and the same time, or it may be used to serve only for either purpose. When used as a sparkarrester it is particularly well adapted for locomotives, while as a steam-condenser it may be used anywhere at the end of steam-exhaust pipes.

The principle involved and carried out here by means of a novel construction consists substantially of introducing the smoke or exhaust-steam, without creating any back-pressure, into the upper part of a peculiarly-shaped chamber in a manner to change its direction and impede its progress, whereby the speed of its motion is slackened to enable the sparks and cinders to separate and drop, or in the case of steam giving the latter time to condense.

In the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims is found a full description of my invention, its operation, parts and construction, the latter being also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

Figures 1. and 2, are vertical elevations taken at right angles to each other. Fig. 3. is avertieal section of the device as it appears in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4. is a top view of the same. Fig. 5. is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

' 8 indicates the end of a steam-eXhaust-pipe through which, in case it is used on a locomotive, the smoke passes. For the purpose of reducing the volume of smoke or steam, to make it more susceptible for further action on it, pipe 8, spreads preferably in two or more branches 9, which discharge at their upa piece of the same material which fills this 7 opening between them and reaches from the edge of the one half cone to the edge of the other. By this construction offsets or breaks 11, are formed in what would otherwise be a perfect inverted cone and which offsets enable the eXhaust-pipes to discharge into the chamber direct without any sharp turns which would create back-pressure and in a manner which causes the smoke or steam to follow along the inside of the circular wall, thereby assuming a rotary motion. This motion in addition to changing the direction of the smoke or steam accompanied by their sudden expansion when entering chamber 10, which reduces their pressure also lessens the speed of their progress, diminishing also in the case of smoke the force of the latter as a motive power to carry the cinders, which separate and drop down. In the case of steam it is this same lessening of speed which produces the desired effect by lengthening the time which the steam remains in the chamber in an expanded state which hastens its condensation'.

The peculiar construction by which pipes 9, discharge into chamber 10, prevents any shelves or horizontal surfaces upon which cinders or water might accumulate and either of these latter, as soon as passed out of pipe 9, lose all direct support and become free to drop at once down into chamber 10. The number of these offsets 11 corresponds obviously with the number of branches 9. If pipe I 8, were to be carried up straight, only one such offset would be required, otherwise their number corresponds with the number of the branches into which pipe 8, separates.

The smoke escapes through an opening 12, in the top of chamber 10. To prevent the The cinders or the condensed water pass off through an outlet 14.

15, is a draft flue permanently open and opening outwardly through the lower part of chamber 10, and extending upwardly into opening 12, within flange 13. When used as a spark-arrester, the device is so set that the lower opening of this flue points toward the front of the locomotive so that, while the latter is running, air is caused to enter with great force and in great quantities, producmg by its escape at the upper end, a draft through opening 12, which aids the escape of smoke therethrough. In the case of a steam-condenser the heat produced Within chamber 10, by the hot steam, escapes through opening 12, and has "a tendency to produce a vacuumin flue 15, which however is immediately filled by inflowing cold air from below. This produces a "constant passage of cold air through flue 15, which, beingjsheet metal, "remains considerably 'cooler than the steam surrounding it and therefore formsan important medium to cause rapid condensation. The use of this draft-flue is not dependent on the specific construction of the other parts and therefore I do not limit myself to its use in aspecific combination but to itsus'e for "the same purpose in similar appliances.

When used as a spark-arrester for loc0mo 'tives, -I prefer for the sake of appearances to pass pipes 9, up through the inside of chamber 10, or to surround the whole -apparatus with a jacket 16, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. land 4. In this case it is necessary to provide the lower opening of flue 15, with a funnel-shaped extension 17, which reaches from this opening to a larger one in the jacket. '(SeeFig.1.) For asteam-condenser the absence of such jacket is preferable, because'it permits free access of air to the outside of'all parts which keeps them cool and thereby furthers the condensation.

- 1. 'In a spark-arrester and steam-condenser, theeombin'ation of an expansion chamber consistingsubstantially of two inverted half "cones,pl'a'ced so against each other that one half'co'ne projects beyond the other one, upright partitions passing substantially radially from the edge of the one half cone to the edge of the other one, whereby they are connected and the inclosure of the chamber completed, inlet-pipes discharging into the chamber through these upright, radial partitions and exit-openings in the top and lower end of the expansion chamber.

2. In a spark-arrester and steam-condenser the combination of a pipe 8, spreading 1n two or more branches 9, and a chamber 10, formed substantially of an inverted hollow cone wlth an opening in its top and an outlet in its contracted end, placed between these branches, which enter this chamber from the outside and discharge into it sidewise at its top n a manner to cause the exhaust from said branches to assume 'a rotary motion.

3. In a spark-arrester and steam-condenser the combination of a pipe 8, spreading ln two or'more branches and a chamber 10, formed substantially of "an inverted hollow cone sidewise at its p manne'r to causethe exhaust from said branchesto assume a rotary motion.

4. In a spark-arrester and-steam-condenser the combination-of a chamber -10,'fo'rmed substantially of an inverted hollow cone with an opening in its top and an outlet in itslower contracted end, one or more pipesjdischarging into chamber 10,'sidewise at itstop ln-a manner 'toca'use the exhaust from them to assume a rotary 'motion,'anda permanently open draft flue 15, entering chamber 10, at its lower part and projecting upwardly to Within the opening in the latters top.

5. In aspark-arrester and'steampoiidenser the combination of one or more pipes 9, a chamber 10, with an o enin in itstop and an outlet in its lower contracted end, receiving these pipes sidewiseand at its 'topin a manner to cause the exhaustfrom "them to assume a rotary motion, a draft flue 15, entering chamber '10,at its lower part and projecting upwardly to within the opening in the latters top,a jacket 16, surrounding the whole structure and an extension 17, connecting the lower opening of draft flue 15, with a similar but enlarged opening 'in the jacket.

6. In a spark-arrester and steam-condenser the combination of-a chamber 10, with an opening in its top, having'a downwardly proj ecting flange 13, around it andan outlet in its lower contracted end, -one'orniore upright pipes discharging "-into this chamber projecting upardly to Within flange 13,- surrounding theopening in the top.

7. In a spark-arrester and steam-condenser, the combination of an expansion chamber 10,

substantially of the shape of an inverted In testimony whereofl affix my signature in cone provided with outlets at top and botpresence of two witnesses. tom, and an exhaust-pipe rising to the top of this chamber and discharging with its upper THOMAS end sidewise through the wall of said cham- Witnesses:

ber whereby the discharge is expanded as W. J. MGOARTNEY,

well as caused to assume a rotary motion. H. F. BROCKMANN. 

